Teachers changing society

The third international Muslim and Christian Teacher’s Dialogue kicked off on 27 April at Canon Lawrence Primary Teacher’s College, Boroboro, Lira, Northern Uganda.

The participants were welcomed to the conference by the principal of the college, Mr Aisu. He outlined the foundation of the college, founded by Canon Lawrence, an Australian Anglican missionary and was set up with specific goals of preparing the youth for the teaching profession, vocational training and above all, moral upbringing of young teachers. It is the largest government aided Primary Teachers' College in Northern Uganda with enrolment of over 350 female and male students.

In welcoming the delegates, Bishop John Kami Odur, Bishop of the Anglican Church Of Uganda - Lira Diocese said the church is supposed to bring discipline to people, and echoed the theme of the conference - 'The teacher in changing society'.

He emphasised that teachers are agents for bringing positive change in society. He encouraged the teachers to be wise planners, practical, responsible and to love God and their neighbours regardless of their faith and religious background.

Andrew Mukwana, co-ordinator of the International Moslem and Christian Teachers’ Dialogue, briefed the 250 participants about the work of Moral Re- Armament/Initiatives of Change and said that absolute moral values are the cornerstones for personal transformation of individuals and societies.

He stated the objectives of the Dialogue as the following:

• to promote a positive co-existence of the teachers, students, school administration, parents and other stakeholders in the education institutions regardless of their ethnicity and religion.
• to promote the four moral values of love, honesty, purity and unselfishness.
• to encourage the education system to meet the needs of the youth and community for social and economic transformation.
• to acknowledge the role of teachers in social, political and economic development of societies.
• to establish a global network of professional teachers.

The keynote address was given by Hajji Jamil Ssebalu, –principal of Namasuba College of Commerce, Kampala. Hajji Jamil is also co-ordinator of the Farmers' Dialogue - Africa and a founder member of the International Muslim and Christian Teachers’ Dialogue.

The main focus of the Dialogue, he said, is to create a positive co-existence between the teachers from different religious backgrounds. 'As teachers,' he said, 'our civic purpose is to help and prepare students to a world based on set principles, right peace, democracy, creativity, solidarity, inclusion, a commitment to a sustainable environment , international and inter-cultural understanding.' On the issue of poverty and pedagogy, he advised the teachers to understand that poverty is not an excuse; it’s a scourge and must be confronted head on.

'A person with a script is an actor and not a teacher. We need well trained, dedicated, qualified, reflective and thoughtful teachers in the teaching profession. Teachers must never allow themselves to be divided in terms of religious affiliation, a given belief system and ethnicity. They should be willing to undertake and revert to the original objectives for which they were trained as teachers and remain useful to the changing society.'

Andrew Mukwana